Existing information technology (IT) management software packages have several shortcomings. Existing IT management software packages are often complicated. Often, such software packages are geared toward professional IT personnel in large businesses, neglecting small and medium sized businesses. While the presentation of large amounts of information may be beneficial in certain contexts, it is often unnecessary and overwhelming for less sophisticated IT management personnel.
Existing IT management software packages may not integrate important data into a single interface. One IT management software package may be more effective for managing one issue, while another may be more effective for another issue. An IT manager may need to review many disparate sources of information in order to effectively manage the IT infrastructure. Common management issues are often mixed with the less commonly encountered issues, making it tedious and time consuming to filter the common issues from the less common issues.
Network management software has earned a reputation as being both costly to buy and complicated to set up and use. As a result, many smaller organizations tend to forgo it, filing it under “nice to have, but not worth the expense or hassle.” But, in putting off network management, a risk arises of letting a potential problem go unnoticed, or even grow worse over time. There is a need for an easy-to-use application that can inventory a network's systems and software (along with various other devices) and includes monitoring and reporting capabilities. Such a system should constitute a relatively small download that may be available via the Internet or other on-line source. The application should be able to run on a current Microsoft Windows system such as Windows XP Professional, Window Vista Business, or Windows 2003 Server system, but it can manage all the common types of assets found in a business such as Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS X, Linux/Unix machines, printers, switches, routers, etc.
Such a network management system should use a minimum of document and other complex instructions in its use. It should also avoid the need to install software agents on every system to provide control and query capabilities. Such a system should require the installation of software on only one system, to make configuring simple in most cases.
There is a need for such a system to provide displays within a simple browser-based interface, with default setting presenting an overview of a network organized by category. Such a display should show how many workstations, servers, printers and miscellaneous devices, as well as and other network information operate on the network.
There is a need for a network management system that reports all of the software, services and operating system updates (or hot fixes) present on each of the systems it finds. Such a system should provide a rapid path to the software manufacturer for recognized applications. A further need exists for a system that allows sifting through a great deal of network information with a built-in report generator.
With such a network monitoring system, there is the need to stay in-step with the network by monitoring workflow within the network. The network monitoring system needs to provide in a desktop application a way to automatically identify PCs and servers with low disk space, the presence of unwanted software on your network, the status of your anti-virus updates, printers with low toner and ink levels, and offline servers. Moreover, such a system should be able to create monitors for anything else an IT administer may want to be warned about such as license violations or un-patched machines. Such alerts and information should arrive quickly and easily to the network's IT administrator.
Accordingly, there is a need for an IT management software package that addresses the shortcomings of existing IT management software noted above.
There is a further need for an IT management software package that is easy to use, integrated and directed to common IT management issues.